01-29-2026
Purdue University’s Mitch Daniels School of Business is celebrating the selection of two of its faculty members, Kate Zipay and Allison “Allie” Gabriel, to the prestigious 2026 Thinkers50 Radar list, which recognizes 30 up-and-coming global management thinkers whose ideas are shaping the future of work and leadership. The Thinkers50 Radar is announced every January and is widely regarded as an early alert system for breakthrough management ideas and emerging thought leaders.
Zipay is an associate professor in the Department of Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management and serves as the associate director of research and impact of the Center for Working Well (CWW). Gabriel holds the Thomas J. Howatt Chair in Management in the same department and serves as director of the CWW. Their inclusion on the Thinkers50 Radar highlights Purdue’s growing influence in evidence-based approaches to employee well-being and organizational performance.
“We’re incredibly honored — and especially grateful for the nomination and encouragement that made this possible,” Zipay says. “This recognition celebrates the focus of our work challenging the assumption that well-being and performance are in tension and showing instead how they can reinforce one another when work is designed thoughtfully.”
“We’re proud of this signal that our work across research, engagement with outside organizations and the incredible growth of the Center for Working Well is resonating in the broader arena, and we’re excited about what this represents for our work and for the broader Daniels and Purdue community,” Gabriel says.
Brian Dineen, head of the Department of Organizational Behavior and Human Resources, emphasizes the importance of their scholarship to both employees and organizations. “Central to their contributions is a direct and thoughtful engagement with what many consider the core of employee-employer synergy: the challenge of jointly maximizing employee well-being and organizational performance,” he says.
Jim Bullard, the Dr. Samuel R. Allen Dean of the Mitch Daniels School of Business, praises Zipay and Gabriel as exemplars of modern thought leadership. “They embody the principles they study, demonstrating how employees can achieve balance while contributing meaningfully to organizational success,” Bullard says. “In this era of uncertainty and opportunity, amid seismic shifts in the business and cultural landscape, the need for rigorous and mindful thought leadership is greater than ever. These outstanding scholars are exceptionally well-positioned to meet that need.”
